By George Slaughter
Janet Corte, a retired IT consultant, is seeking her second term on the Katy City Council.
She faces two challengers. Dharminder Durgan is an engineer. Diane Walker is a life insurance broker.
Term of office is three years.
1. Why do you want this job?
I am running for reelection because I love this town and serving the residents. I want to see Katy prosper and be the best it can be while retaining its uniqueness and heritage. Much has been accomplished in the last two years but there are still goals I want to see the city attain, such as additional detention, improved infrastructure, improved parks and greenspace and the downtown plaza revitalization.
2. Briefly discuss your professional background, and how that will help if you if elected.
I have an IT background with experience in system analysis and development, project management, and client communication. A large part of my career involved asking questions in order to understand a client’s needs, then analyzing and prioritizing those needs to find solutions. This is exactly what I do as a council member. I listen to residents and city employees. I research issues brought before council and am not afraid to ask questions. Every decision and suggestion I make is given great thought to ensure it benefits the city and its residents.
Because of my background I support the city in its effort to embrace current technology making the city more efficient for our residents and employees. Progress has been made with a new city website, tablets and software for city inspectors, and document storage software. The city is currently installing new accounting software, providing department heads immediate access to their department budgets, enabling them to efficiently manage their budgets, and our police department installed license plate reader cameras which have proved to be invaluable in solving crimes and brought a great cost benefit to the city.
3. If elected, what would your top three priorities for the city be, and why?
Drainage and infrastructure continues to be the top priority. Our residents deserve to feel safe during rain events such as the ones that occurred in March and the recent tropical storm. With all the growth to our north, it is important to capture and hold as much water as possible, keeping it out of the city until the creeks can drain. We’ve recently completed a 13-acre expansion to our Pitts Road detention pond and are working towards acquiring additional property to further increase detention capabilities. Aging infrastructure and physical layout in our older neighborhoods can also contribute to drainage issues. These areas should be evaluated to determine means of improving drainage and other possible infrastructure issues. We also need to continue building relationships and working with our local drainage/flood entities that maintain and control our area creeks to ensure they continue to flow as allowed.
My second priority is growth in and around Katy and improved services for our residents. The city has a comprehensive plan from April 2001 which is a 20-year study anticipating future growth and its impact on the city. It includes many recommendations going forward such as drainage, design and construction considerations, and policy recommendations. Many of the city’s projects over the last 20 years were a result of this study. It is a very good and impressive study; however, considering all the changes and growth that have occurred in and around Katy over the last 20 years, it should be reviewed and updated. The updated comprehensive plan will then serve as a growth and planning guide for future mayors, council members, and city staff. I would also like to see the zoning and code ordinances reviewed and updated.
My third priority continues to be parks and greenspace including the Downtown Plaza revitalization as well as an integrated system of sidewalks and bike/hike trails. With the purchase of the historic Rylander land next to Thomas Park, I will work with the mayor, city administrator, the parks department and the parks board to develop a comprehensive plan for enhancing all our parks.
4. “Smart growth” has become a catchphase for managing the city’s growth. How would you define “smart growth,” and what measures would you support towards that end?
I prefer the term “managed growth” which is closely tied with the comprehensive plan that I mentioned as my second priority in question 3. We need to have a vision for Katy’s future; i.e., how do we want Katy to look 5, 10, 15 years from now. An updated comprehensive plan and ordinances will be the roadmap which gets us there.
While a large part of the comprehensive plan focuses on the physicality of the city, we also need to look at the future economics of the city. Our society has changed a lot in 20 years with the advancement of and dependence on technology. More people are working from home, online sales have increased, even the way we grocery shop is changing. In order to have a stable, balanced budget the city needs to ensure that we have a diversified tax base allowing us to continue to provide the services that our residents expect and deserve while still maintaining our low property tax rate.
5. How have you been able to campaign, given the pandemic restrictions (avoiding large gatherings, social distancing, and so forth)?
Campaigning under these restrictions has been challenging and has become a combination of activities including social media, phone calls, texting, small gatherings, observing social distancing when block walking and wearing a mask when in close quarters.
6. Is there anything else about your candidacy that Katy News readers should know?
I originally ran for city council because I truly wanted to help move Katy forward in a positive way that would benefit all of Katy’s residents, regardless of how long they have lived here or where they came from. My husband and I had just returned to our home after being flooded by Harvey and I had recently retired when I was asked to consider running for city council. Even though I was in the middle of negotiating another long-term employment contract, I strongly felt called to pursue a spot on the council. I have always had a servant’s heart and was always the first one to volunteer when help was needed. I approach being on city council like any other full-time job and have worked hard learning how the city operates and building relationships that are invaluable and necessary to continue moving the city forward in a positive direction. While the city charter states that council’s main role is to set policy, I have made myself available and responsive to residents and local businesses. Recently I worked closely with the mayor and some of the downtown business owners to get Katy Market Days going again. It has been an honor to serve on city council for the last 2.5 years and I hope I have gained the voters’ trust and confidence to honor me with another 2.5 years of continued service to the city and its residents.